EES Shipping has been at the fore front of the issues surrounding container weight declarations and the new Chain of Responsibility laws. We have ensured that our overseas agents and local operators are aware of this change that’s due to come into effect. We pride ourselves in the knowledge that our staff are fully up to date on this most important subject.

We are now pleased to advise that the International Maritime Organization’s Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) has approved the long awaited changes to the Safety of Life at Seas (SOLAS) convention that will require container weight verification as a condition for loading packed export containers aboard ships.

Mis-declaration of container weights has been a huge problem in the shipping and transport industry. Mis-declaring weights puts lives at risk at ports, on vessels, on the roads and also at unloading / loading premises. It also raises concern with Customs.

EES have showed you incidents were wrong container weights had been advised and there have been dire consequences. Massive container ships have sunk, stacks of containers have collapsed on vessels along with containers crashing to the ground from cranes.

The approved changes are due to take effect in July 2016, once final adoption has been made by the Maritime Safety Committee in November 2014.

We here at EES applaud the change and believe it is a step in the right direction on ensuring a safer future for our industry.